A good use for those used backpacks

United Food Bank is asking kids to donate gently used backpacks to help kids in need.

From now until the end of June, children who donate their backpacks will receive a free ice cream and a special certificate recognizing their good deed. The backpack drop-off location is from 8am to 4pm Monday through Friday at United Food Bank, 245 S. Nina Drive in Mesa.

The Backpack Program gets nutritious food to kids who are at risk of going hungry over the weekend by sending them home from school each Friday with a backpack full of food. This program is extremely important for children who qualify for free or reduced lunch at school but have little to no access to food over the weekend.

United Food Bank provides more than 500 backpacks every single week during the school year; many rip, get lost and need to be replaced.

“It may be hard to imagine this, but one in four children in Arizona do not know where their next meal is coming from,” said Lisa Goin, United Food Bank’s Chief Development Officer, in a press release. “We hear from parents who thank us for this food, saying that without this program, their child would literally just be eating the free lunch provided at school. It’s an unfortunate reality for so many people that there isn’t a single morsel of food in the house.”

For more information about donating a backpack or joining the Kids Lunch Bunch, visit unitedfoodbank.org or call 480-926-4897 ext. 207.

Gifts for mom that give back to great causes

Photo courtesy of Phoenix Flower Shops.

A better way to buy flowers

Purchase Mother’s Day flowers and gifts through Phoenix Flower Shops (delivery nationwide) and Children’s Action Alliance receives 10 percent of the purchase price.

CAA also operates an e-store where you can purchase beautiful pottery pieces created by local youth artists. Though it’s too late to have items shipped in time for Mother’s Day you can still pick up pieces from the Phoenix office. Contact Amy Kobeta at 602-266-0707 x202 or akobeta@azchildren.org.

CAA advocates for the health, education and security of Arizona children at the state capitol and in the community.

CARDS SAY IT ALL

One of four card designs from Maggie’s Place.

Honor the mothers you know with special Mother’s Day cards and/or charms from Maggie’s Place. Phoenix-based Maggie’s Place provides houses of hospitality for expectant women who are homeless or alone and who wish to achieve their goals — for themselves, and for their child — in a dignified atmosphere. Learn more.

[NOTE: We published a story about Maggie's Place in our May 2009 magazine; coming in June 2012 is an update on new developments at the growing nonprofit.]

The YWCA offers a Mother’s Day eCard that offers a particularly convenient option for those of you who wait until the last minute. There are many styles to choose from and you can personalize your message. A suggested tax-deductible donation of $20 provides financial education classes for one woman, making a difference in another mother’s life. Learn more.

A celebration of moms and theatre

Nonprofit Theatre Artist’s Studio will present a special event on Sunday, May 13, in celebration of Mother’s Day. “Music and Musings in Celebration of Mothers” will feature popular songs from Broadway and the great American Songbook and amusing and poignant readings about mothers by Studio members and others.

No ticket is required; pay-as-you-can donations will be accepted at the door. Advance reservations are recommended. Special reserved seating and program recognition will be provided for anyone who would like to donate a minimum of $100 to the “Spring for The Studio” Challenge Grant Campaign in honor or memory of a special woman.

The Studio is located on Paradise Village Parkway East, two blocks north of Cactus. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. 602-765-0120 or thestudiophx.org.

Make strides against breast cancer

What better way to honor mothers, grandmothers and all women than by signing up for this year’s American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk?

The walk will be held on Saturday, Oct. 27 at Tempe Beach Park. Mothers lost to breast cancer will be remembered and survivors will be celebrated. Learn more at makingstrideswalk.org/phoenixaz.

Take a chance and help another family

Maybe you want to take a chance on something really magical happening. Enter Mesa United Way’s Happiest Sweepstakes on Earth for a chance to win a Disneyland Vacation Package from Get Away Today. You don’t have to make a donation to enter the sweepstakes, but even the most modest contribution will help:

$10 will provide 50 meals for the hungry. $50 will provide a week’s worth of diapers for four infants in a shelter or feed a family of four for 19 days. $100 will provide a foster child with a backpack filled with school suppies,shoes,and clothing.

You get the idea. Even if you don’t win, you win. The contest ends May 16.

Know of other community-minded Mother’s Day gift ideas? Please log on and comment to share with the rest of us!

Adopt a pet during PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend

Photo courtesy of PetsMart Charities.

Looking to add a pet to your family this spring? PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend starts today and runs through Sunday, May 6.

Thousands of healthy pets are up for adoption by more than 2,000 local animal welfare organizations in all PetSmart stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Your pet adoption will benefit these local shelters and rescue agencies, including Maricopa County Animal Care & Control (MCACC), which operates an adoption center inside the PetSmart store at 4380 N. Miller Road in Scottsdale. MCACC will receive $35 in adoption-reward grants from PetSmart Charities for every pet they adopt during the event.

“Adoption is one of the key ways to save pets and end pet homelessness, not to mention enrich our own lives with a loving companion,” said Susana Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities, Inc., in a press release.

“We are excited to be part of PetSmart Charities’ National Adoption Weekend and have the opportunity to showcase our wonderful adoptable pets looking for their forever home,” added Dr. Rodrigo Silva of MCACC.

Animal-welfare organizations in all 1,210 PetSmart stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico will participate in National Adoption Weekend. The events are sponsored by PetSmart, Purina® Pro Plan® and Tidy Cats®.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Saturday, May 5; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 6. To learn about the adoption center’s fees and guidelines, visit PetSmartCharities.org/adoption or call 877-473-8762.

Pop tabs help families facing a child’s hospitalization

Dick Paulin dumps one of 32 five-gallon buckets holding more than 717,000 pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House to recycle.

On Tuesday, 15 residents of Sunland Springs Village in East Mesa delivered 32 five-gallon paint buckets filled with 717,755 pop tabs to the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) in Phoenix. The tabs, weighing a whopping 566.5 pounds, will be recycled and all proceeds will benefit the House.

Since 2008, members of the master-planned active adult community, which is located near the Superstition Mountains, have collected 2,326,843 pop tabs and donated $3,940 to the House.

The project is organized by Dick and Karen Paulin, whose relationship with the charity began when their grandson was undergoing medical treatment at hospitals in Wisconsin and Paulin family members stayed at a Ronald McDonald House.

RMHC provides a temporary “home away from home” for families who must travel to the Phoenix area to receive medical treatment for their children and also supports programs that directly benefit children and their families in our community. Funds raised by the Sunland Springs Village community will help ensure that no family is ever turned away because they can’t afford the $15 nightly fee.

Want to see if your organization can beat the Sunland Springs record? Learn more about the RMHC’s ongoing pop-tab fundraiser. 

Dick Paulin (left), Karen Paulin (center) and Janet West sift through some of the 717,000 pop tabs Sunland Springs Village residents delivered to the Ronald McDonald House for recycling.

KOA Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend sends kids with cancer to camp

Photo courtesy of KOA Care Camps.

Pay to stay at a Kampgrounds of America site on Friday, May 11 and you’ll receive a free night of camping on Saturday, May 12 at any of the 400-plus participating KOA campgrounds throughout North American.

It’s part of KOA’s 9th Annual Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend, which also serves as a fundraiser to support KOA Care Camps for children with cancer. The event attracted more than 25,000 camping families in 2011.

KOA Care Camps is a network of 44 specialized summer camps nationwide that provide a safe — and free — summer camping experience for children undergoing or recovering treatment for cancer.

“We have found a wonderful way to invite out campers to begin enjoying their summer camping season and also allow them to help us support camps for children with cancer,” said KOA CEO Jim Rogers in a press release.

Last year, more than $500,000 was raised through camper donations. Find a complete list of participating KOAs.

Kampgrounds of America, founded on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Billings, Montana in 1962, is the world’s largest system of open-to-the-public family campgrounds. KOA has 485 locations in the United States and Canada. KOA.com.

Book donation benefits New Song Center for Grieving Children

The New Song Center for Grieving Children will be able to provide a special book related to a young child’s loss thanks to a $500 book donation from Libraries Ltd.

New Song Center provides grief support to families and children who have experienced the death of a loved one. The program helps children, teens and young adults cope with loss through the sharing of stories and experiences, as well as art, music and recreation.

Copies of three titles were donated. The books will go to children ages 5 to 11.

If Nathan Were Here, by Mary Bahr, illustrated by Karen A. Jerome, explores the grief of a young boy whose best friend has died. Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company, for ages 6-12.

Sweet, Sweet Memories, by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Floyd Cooper, is about a girl who finds comfort following the loss of her grandfather in the stories and memories she and family members share. Hyperion Books for Children, for ages 6  to 8.

The Scar, by Charlotte Moundlic, illustrated by Olivier Tallec, is about a little boy responding to his mother’s death. Candlewick Press, for ages 5  to 8.

New Song Center is a program of Hospice of the Valley and was founded by volunteers in 1989.  It currently serves about 125 families throughout Maricopa County.  More information: 480-951-8985 or  hov.org/new_song_center.

Tucson-based Libraries Ltd. is a non-profit organization that works to promote literacy in children and teenagers, and targets underserved communities throughout Arizona. librariesltd.org.

Celebrate Youth: Vivian Nguyen

Vivian Nguyen. Photo courtesy of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.

Pinnacle High School sophomore Vivian Nguyen will be honored at the Celebrate Youth Gala & Auction on Saturday, March 31, at Talking Stick Resort. She is one of eight outstanding youth competing to advance to the state Youth of the Year competition.

Vivian says the Club’s Vestar Branch gave her a clearer perspective on life. Over the years she has learned how to find opportunities and take advantage of resources available to her in order to get ahead.

Celebrate Youth is the Club’s premier fundraising event. Individual tickets are $125. The black tie event begins with a hosted bar at 5:30pm, followed by dinner, a live auction and the Youth of the Year Ceremony.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale provide youth development services that instill strong core values and life-enhancing skills in a safe environment. The programs help promote healthy lifestyles, good character and academic success. For more information, visit bgcs.org.

Vivian’s speech

I remember getting my first pair of glasses. I remember when the teacher wrote on the board and I had to squint just to make out one word. I remember the moment when I put on my brand new pair of glasses. Everything was so clear, I fully realized what I hadn’t been seeing right. Now, glasses are a part of my everyday life and this experience is like my Boys & Girls Club story.

As a kid, I was looking at life with an unclear perspective. Before going to the Boys & Girls Club, I attended a small private school that had an after-school program called Extended Care. It was nothing compared to what the Club is. Everyday, they would hand us a snack and we were free to do what we wanted. There were no programs or clear-cut activities; everything was very unstructured. The thing I see when I reflect back is that there were no chances for me to learn about myself and my life.

My first year at the Boys & Girls Club Vestar Branch swept the fuzziness from my eyes and let me see things in a new and clear way just like my glasses did. The first person I met was the Education Coordinator at the time. I never imagined she would be the one who would encourage and support me and help get me through my first year at Vestar. She gave me my first opportunities by introducing me to programs that taught me not only leadership and respect, but gave me experiences of a lifetime. She started my Club career and provided everything I needed to get that clear perspective. She was basically my first pair of glasses.

Now that glasses are a part of my everyday life, I see everything more clearly. From the values that I have learned in the various programs I am in, to the everlasting friendships I have made, I realize these are just a few things that give me that everyday clarity.

A small girl with an unclear perspective in the world? Not anymore. Now, I am a girl who has found her perfect pair of glasses and that’s the Boys & Girls Club. I thank the Vestar Branch for all the great things I have done and making my life, a lot clearer.

Celebrate Youth: Alyssa Coughenour

Alyssa Coughenour. Photo courtesy of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.

Pinnacle High School senior Alyssa Coughenour will be honored as Boys & Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale’s Youth of the Year.

Alyssa credits the Club’s Thunderbirds Branch for teaching her the importance of respect — both giving and earning it. She aspires to attend Duke University to study public relations.

Alyssa will be honored at the Celebrate Youth Gala & Auction on Saturday, March 31, 2012, at Talking Stick Resort.

The gala is the Club’s premier fundraising event. Individual tickets are $125. The black tie event begins with a hosted bar at 5:30pm, followed by dinner, a live auction and the Youth of the Year Ceremony.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale provide youth development services that instill strong core values and life-enhancing skills in a safe environment. The programs help promote healthy lifestyles, good character and academic success. For more information, visit bgcs.org.

Alyssa’s speech

My facial muscles tense, my forehead wrinkled, I fixated my eyes on the inside of my eyelids. Moments earlier, they had been forced shut by an intruding red blindfold and the hands of someone whom I trusted. She twisted the cloth behind my head to ensure my blindness.

It was two years ago at the PROUD Lock In, a Boys and Girls Club event, and it was the single experience that embodies what I’ve learned about respect.

The first experience I can remember about respect was when I was Kindergarden. My name being Alyssa sounds similar to Listen, and so when the word was said through the microphone, I always perked up. Feeling like a clever Kindergardener, I realized Laura was not talking to me and I could keep talking during announcements. But the day Laura actually said my name in front of all my peers, I learned maybe I shouldn’t talk while others are talking- a basic rule of respect, but the foundation for what I’d learn in years to come.

At the club, I’d show up in my metallic purple pants and my bright polka dot backpack. I had an odd fashion sense back then, but not once did I receive a rude remark, not once did I feel weird in my purple pants. It wasn’t like that at school. At school, comments about my purple pants and poofy hair made me want to hide. It was when I got to the club that I could be myself and that I got respect.

At a young age, I learned how to respect others. However, it was the PROUD lock-in that taught me why respect was so important.

When I was blinded at the event, it only took me a few minutes to realize how dependent I was on other people. Being blind opened my eyes to circumstances other people have to live with, and I experienced first-hand what it would be like if I was not as fortunate as I am.

To this day, you’ll find the framed PRIDE Award, an award I received at the PROUD Lock-in, on top of the antique rollover desk in my room. It reminds me of the most important lesson I’ve learned in the past eighteen years- respect. People who respect others unique differences are proud of themselves for appreciating everyone regardless of their color, disabilities, or quirks. Thus, pride lies in respect, and respect, thanks to the Thunderbirds Branch, is something I have begun to fully comprehend.

Celebrate Youth: Andy Dao

Andy Dao. Photo courtesy of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.

Born in Vietnam, Andy Dao was a reserved child and uncomfortable in social situations when he moved to Arizona. That all changed seven years ago when Dao joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale Rose Lane Branch.

The club nurtured Dao’s passions for art, music and  sports. He gained confidence, friends and teammates, and is a part of several community service clubs, including Keystone.

Dao is one of eight outstanding youth who will be honored at The Celebrate Youth Saturday, March 31 at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale. One of those youth will be selected to advance to the state Youth of the Year competition.

The gala is the Club’s premier fundraising event. Individual tickets are $125. The black tie event begins with a hosted bar at 5:30pm, followed by dinner, a live auction and the Youth of the Year Ceremony.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale provide youth development services that instill strong core values and life-enhancing skills in a safe environment. The programs help promote healthy lifestyles, good character and academic success. For more information, visit bgcs.org.

Andy’s speech

Seven years ago, I was nine years old, a child by most standards. I was unable to understand the complexity of being social unlike my peers who had appeared to have intuitively grasped it. Seven years ago, I was lazy and lethargic. I was content with sitting around by myself, observing others enjoy themselves. I knew full well that it could be me but I didn’t have any drive or desire to make an effort to change. Seven years ago, I enjoyed being alone. I kept others away and it was fine with me. Growing up with just my mother, I didn’t need additional people in my life. Seven years ago, that had all started to change for me.

This was when I first attended the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale, Rose Lane Branch. I didn’t become social overnight, but I began to develop my own interests. These included art and music. Art and music were perfect for me at the time. It didn’t require close proximity with others. Not only that, it was calming and relaxing. In the Art Room, I became heavily involved with art. Painting, sketching, and sculpting became an everyday thing. I would come in everyday to use their supplies. At the Club, I learned to play four different instruments; guitar, violin, piano, and bass guitar. There was always an instrument laying around that I wanted to play. I had even joined my school orchestra for years until I managed to join the Symphonic Orchestra at Saguaro High School. The person who sparked my interest in guitar was actually a staff at the Boys & Girls Club. I had a brand new side to me. I had something that distinguished me from others my own age.

Despite this however, I was still devoid of connections. I knew many people but I didn’t have anyone I was close to. This was quickly solved by sports, particularly basketball and soccer. They have a necessity of coordinating with each other on our teams to properly perform even the most elementary things. These were team sports, meaning that they required communication between players for success. For the duration of each game, I had a group that I was included in. I talked to them, I encouraged them, and I either succeeded or failed with them.

Today, I am sixteen years old. A teenager, to some, a young adult to others. Today, I have friends who I have known for seven years. Friends who have been through thick and thin with me. These are the same friends who I have played soccer and basketball together with everyday for years. Today, I have a room full of art supplies and personal works. Today, I will no longer simply observe others and no more will I be subject to the loneliness I have grown out of. Because today, I am no longer the boy I was seven years. Today, I am the result of the Club, the collection of lessons I have learned, and the challenges I have faced. Thank you.

Next: Youth of the Year finalist Alyssa Coughenou.

Celebrate Youth: Lane Yazzie

Lane Yazzie. Photo courtesy of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.

Lane Yazzie, a freshman at Salt River High School, is one of two members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community who will be honored at the Celebrate Youth Gala & Auction on Saturday, March 31, at Talking Stick Resort.

Lane is a member of the Red Mountain Branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, where he has learned valuable life skills while participating in many of the club’s leadership programs, including Keystone, SMART move and Money Matters.

Lane is thankful for the opportunities provided by the Club and its part in giving him the confidence and self-esteem he needs to succeed.

The Celebrate Youth gala is the Club’s premier fundraising event. Individual tickets are $125. The black tie event begins with a hosted bar at 5:30pm, followed by dinner, a live auction and the Youth of the Year Ceremony.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale provide youth development services that instill strong core values and life-enhancing skills in a safe environment. The programs help promote healthy lifestyles, good character and academic success. For more information, visit bgcs.org.

Lane’s speech

What thought comes to mind when you hear adventurous? For myself, I visualize Indiana Jones as courageous, daring, bold, and brave character. Like, Indiana Jones, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale Red Mountain Branch provides me with the adventures in my life. On these adventures I have daily at the club, I am able to travel different places, experience new things, and most of all become confident with myself.

Discovering who I am was challenging before I became a member of the Club. It was like a huge boulder chasing me away from the treasures of life, leading me into a negative direction I did not want to go towards. During this time I made poor choices with friends, and I was dealing with personal issues with my self-esteem, and lost trust from my family which prevented me in finding the treasures I knew life had to offer. Any treasure is hard to find, and sometimes it is in places you rarely expect. It is also not easy going on your own quest by yourself; luckily my friend Angelica came to the rescue with her invite to the club one day after school when I had nowhere to go. Like the dark traitorous cave that has hidden treasures on the inside, I approached the 35 x 40 foot one room building, it made me skeptical of what was so amazing about this place. I used all the courage I had, when I entered, I was greeted with smiles, laughter, and joy from the young club members. Angelica introduced me to all the Club staff, they were friendly, and it was a warm welcoming feeling that I immediately felt safe.

The two years I have been a member, I have grown tremendously; the staff has opened their hearts and time for me. The Club gave me a secret weapon like Indiana Jones’s lasso he carries around to help defend him in time of need. My lasso is the Self Confidence I build here at the Club with peers and staff from attending daily programs like keystone, SMART moves, and Money Matters. No more running from boulders, dogging arrows, and setting off traps. The negative things in my life began to minimize, and I gain that trust back with my family because of all the positive influence and actions I do at the Club. My adventure never ended, it began here. Thank you.

Next: Youth of the Year nominee Andy Dao.